Our readers are invited to email us with their questions! Q: How Does Sleep Make Us Function Better? (Gerald P.) A: Hey Gerald, approximately a third of our lives is spent sleeping. Although the mechanics of sleep may differ among animals, most of them share our need for sleep—even insects and more simple-brained creatures. While no one is really sure of the biological reason for sleep, despite decades of research, most scientists agree that sleep is critical for physiological and mental health. Some researchers hypothesize that sleep allows the brain to shut down in order to process memories; others suggest that sleep helps regulate the body’s hormones. What we do know is that sleep deprivation adversely affects organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs as well as one’s metabolism, immune function, and tendency toward obesity. --------------------------------------------------------------- Q: What’s The Link Between Chronic Illness and Insomnia? (Julia K.) A: Julia, chronic illness can cause disruptions in sleep patterns. Depression, heart disease, bodily pain, and memory problems are all associated with insomnia. Other conditions such as obesity, arthritis, diabetes, lung diseases, stroke, and osteoporosis were associated with sleep-related problems such as breathing pauses, snoring, daytime sleepiness, restless legs, or insufficient sleep, meaning six hours or less. |